RORY MCILROY, 25, made "his father proud" and much richer on Sunday by winning the British Open at Hoylake. Ten years ago, McIlroy's dad, GERRY, and three friends each placed £100 bets at odds of 500:1 that his son "would become Open champion before he turned 26." The overall jackpot for the quartet is £200,000 ($342,000) (AFP, 7/20). ... Venezuelan F1 driver PASTOR MALDONADO extended his contract with the Lotus F1 team for another year through '15. The team "confirmed the extension with the 29-year-old ahead of Sunday's German Grand Prix." Maldonado "is one of the so-called 'pay drivers' in F1 as he brings with him millions in sponsorships from state-owned Venezuelan oil company PDVSA" (SID, 7/20). ... British Olympic Gold Medalist JESSICA ENNIS-HILL "has given birth to a baby boy." The 28-year-old announced on Twitter that her son REGGIE "was born on Thursday." Ennis-Hill said in January that she "was '100 per cent set on returning to full-time athletics' after the birth and determined to 'go for a second gold medal'" at the 2016 Rio Games (HERALD SCOTLAND, 7/18).
REAL SIGNS RODRÍGUEZ: Colombian JAMES RODRÍGUEZ "is expected to be introduced by Real Madrid on Tuesday or Wednesday" following an agreement reached between Ligue 1 Monaco and Real. The "negotiations between the clubs have been non-stop for the past week and will end" with Real paying around €80M ($108M). Now, the "only things left to resolve are very small loose ends" (AS, 7/21).
DIACK HONORED: IAAF President LAMINE DIACK will be one of two recipients of the 2014 Association of National Olympic Committees Merit Awards. The other recipient will be IOC President THOMAS BACH (IAAF). ... Premiership rugby side London Irish has appointed former Ireland assistant coach MARK TAINTON as its new "skills and kicking coach."
The "former Bristol fly-half previously worked with England, before coaching Ireland for 10 years" (BBC, 7/18). ... Serie A side Inter Milan President ERICK THOHIR has appointed sports and entertainment exec MICHAEL BOLINGBROKE as the new CEO of the club. The 48-year-old will join Inter in August after having completed his stint as COO for ManU. Bollingbroke's focus will include implementing best practices in the industry and increasing the reach and depth of the Inter brand (Inter Milan). ... World Cup-winning captain PHILIPP LAHM has retired from int'l football. Lahm, "who is still only 30, led Germany to their fourth World Cup win" (London INDEPENDENT, 7/18). ... Suspended Bangladesh cricket player SHAKIB AL HASAN apologized on Sunday and appealed to the Bangladesh Cricket Board "to reduce the six-month ban slapped on him earlier this month for misbehaviour."
Bangladesh's "most prominent cricketer was punished for what the BCB called a 'severe attitude problem.'" Shakib said, "I admitted that my behavior was not mature. I apologize for this. In future it will not happen again" (REUTERS, 7/20).
FUNDING CUTS: Australian runner ALEX ROWE "has been punished by his sport by
having his funding cut by a third for competing in the event in which he
equalled a long-standing national record." Olympic and world champion SALLY PEARSON "is understood to be
likely to face a similar fate because she agreed to compete in the
anniversary games in London before arriving at the Commonwealth Games
athletics camp in Newcastle, England."
Athletes competing in Glasgow at the Commonwealth Games "were required
to attend the Athletics Australia camp in Newcastle by a certain date."
Rowe and Pearson "will be late because of participating in other
competitions" (SYDNEY MORNING HERALD, 7/20).
